4.2. Finish Configuring the Diskless Environment

To use the graphical version of the Network Booting Tool, you must be running the X Window System, have root privileges, and have the system-config-netboot RPM package installed. To start the Network Booting Tool from the desktop, go to Applications (the main menu on the panel) => System Settings => Server Settings => Network Booting Service. Or, type the command system-config-netboot at a shell prompt (for example, in an XTerm or a GNOME terminal).

If starting the Network Booting Tool for the first time, select Diskless from the First Time Druid. Otherwise, select Configure => Diskless from the pull-down menu, and then click Add.

A wizard appears to step you through the process:

After clicking Apply, the diskless kernel and image file are created based on the kernel selected. They are copied to the PXE boot directory /tftpboot/linux-install/<os-identifier>/. The directory snapshot/ is created in the same directory as the root/ directory (for example, /diskless/i386/RHEL4-AS/snapshot/) with a file called files in it. This file contains a list of files and directories that must be read/write for each diskless system. Do not modify this file. If additional entries must be added to the list, create a files.custom file in the same directory as the files file, and add each additional file or directory on a separate line.